---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is characteristic of all movements and…"
description: "\"It is characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top.\" — Robert M. Lindner"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png"
---

#  It is characteristic of all movements and crusades that…

![“It is characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top.” quote by Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png)

> “It is characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top.”

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

In groups, especially radical ones, unstable personalities tend to dominate leadership and direction.

**In simple terms:** Unstable people often lead movements.

Key Takeaway

Watch for charismatic but unstable leaders.

Themes

leadership psychology movements radicalism

Mood

cautious critical analytical

Type

observational warning insightful

When to use this quote

- political protests
- cult recruitment
- online activism
- social movements

Key Concepts

authoropathy group dynamics power structures

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we identify unhealthy leadership early?
- What safeguards protect groups from toxic leaders?

A Different Perspective

Charismatic leaders can also provide positive vision, not always harmful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crusades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crusades/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Rebellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebellion/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/)

## Related quotes

> [The woman who says, 'My kids are all speaking to one another and they love us' is a psychopathic liar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/the-woman-who-says-my-kids-are-all-speaking-to-one-another-and-they/)

[Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/)

> [There are certainly more people in the business world who would score high in the psychopathic dimension than in the general population. You'll find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hare/there-are-certainly-more-people-in-the-business-world-who-would-score/)

[Robert D. Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hare/)

> [I seek a diverse spectrum of roles. If I just was in a large-budget feature for a younger audience, then I want to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-monaghan/i-seek-a-diverse-spectrum-of-roles-if-i-just-was-in-a-large-budget/)

[Cameron Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-monaghan/)

> [Accurate scholarship can unearth the whole offence from luther untill noe that has driven a culture mad. From what occured at linz what huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/accurate-scholarship-can-unearth-the-whole-offence-from-luther-untill/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [Our president is a Christian? So was Adolf Hitler. What can be said to our young people, now that psychopathic personalities, which is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/our-president-is-a-christian-so-was-adolf-hitler-what-can-be-said-to/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [As a psychopathic creature, the corporation can neither recognize nor act upon moral reasons to refrain from harming others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/as-a-psychopathic-creature-the-corporation-can-neither-recognize-nor/)

[Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/)

> [“It's natural for a man to defend what's dear to him: his own life, his home, his family. But in order to make him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/it-s-natural-for-a-man-to-defend-what-s-dear-to-him-his-own-life-his/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [It was really sad Bobby Neuwirth's and my affair. The only true, passionate, and lasting love scene, and I practically ended up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-sedgwick/it-was-really-sad-bobby-neuwirth-s-and-my-affair-the-only-true/)

[Edie Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-sedgwick/)

> [As far as the lack of hits goes, I think perhaps it's because I've played a lot of different roles and have not created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/as-far-as-the-lack-of-hits-goes-i-think-perhaps-it-s-because-i-ve/)

[Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/)

> [Jews, I know you're God's chosen people and the rest of us are just 'whatever', but when Israel behaves like a violent, psychopathic bully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/jews-i-know-you-re-god-s-chosen-people-and-the-rest-of-us-are-just/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [The corporation, like the psychopathic personality it resembles, is programmed to exploit others for profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-like-the-psychopathic-personality-it-resembles-is/)

[Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/)

> [“The normalization of psychopathic traits in leadership positions speaks volumes about our societal values and the high price of unbridled ambition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhysheq-shukla/the-normalization-of-psychopathic-traits-in-leadership-positions/)

[Abhysheq Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhysheq-shukla/)

> [The corporate system is fully psychopathic, and any creative people who enter into business with any of these organizations come up against a lifetime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-shields/the-corporate-system-is-fully-psychopathic-and-any-creative-people/)

[Kevin Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-shields/)

> [The main source of psychopathic diseases is the fundamental instinct of fear with its manifestations, the feeling of anxiety, anguish, and worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-main-source-of-psychopathic-diseases-is-the-fundamental-instinct/)

[Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/)

> [Americans have different ways of saying things. They say 'elevator', we say 'lift'... they say 'President', we say 'stupid psychopathic git.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/americans-have-different-ways-of-saying-things-they-say-elevator-we/)

[Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/)

## More by Robert M. Lindner

> [It is in solitude that the works of hand, heart and mind are always conceived, and in solitude that individuality must be affirmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/it-is-in-solitude-that-the-works-of-hand-heart-and-mind-are-always/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [Conformity, humility, acceptance with these coins we are to pay our fares to paradise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/conformity-humility-acceptance-with-these-coins-we-are-to-pay-our/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [As a dimension of man, rebellion actually defines him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/as-a-dimension-of-man-rebellion-actually-defines-him/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [Adjustment, that synonym for conformity that comes more easily to the modern tongue, is the theme of our swan song, the piper's tune to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/adjustment-that-synonym-for-conformity-that-comes-more-easily-to-the/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [How protean are the devices available to human intelligence when it lends itself to the persistence of the conformist error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/how-protean-are-the-devices-available-to-human-intelligence-when-it/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [We should not wonder at the success of communism, for so much of its success is rather that of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/we-should-not-wonder-at-the-success-of-communism-for-so-much-of-its/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [Schools vast factories for the manufacture of robots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/schools-vast-factories-for-the-manufacture-of-robots/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [Only by being permitted to experience the consequences of his actions will the child acquire a sense of responsibility; and within the limits marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/only-by-being-permitted-to-experience-the-consequences-of-his-actions/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [What a person wills and not what they know determines their worth or unworth, power or impotence, happiness or unhappiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/what-a-person-wills-and-not-what-they-know-determines-their-worth-or/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [In the crowd, herd, or gang, it is a mass-mind that operates-which is to say, a mind without subtlety, a mind without compassion, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/in-the-crowd-herd-or-gang-it-is-a-mass-mind-that-operates-which-is-to/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [Non-conformism is the major, perhaps the only, sin of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/non-conformism-is-the-major-perhaps-the-only-sin-of-our-time/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

> [Mass Man, the universal psychopath, is born when the individual ego is weakened to the point at which it loses separate identity and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/mass-man-the-universal-psychopath-is-born-when-the-individual-ego-is/)

[Robert M. Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

[Explore all 13 Robert M. Lindner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/)

## More Characteristics quotes

> [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

> [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/)

[Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/)

> [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/)

[Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/)

> [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A second characteristic of the process which for me is the good life, is that it involves an increasingly tendency to live fully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/a-second-characteristic-of-the-process-which-for-me-is-the-good-life/)

[Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/)

> [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/)

Mary Livermore

> [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/)

[Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/)

> [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/)

Amy Trask

> [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mass-of-men-lead-lives-of-quiet-desperation-what-is-called/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [ \[Joseph\] Stalin closes the exposition of these \[Leon Trotsky\] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of \[Vladimir\] Lenin's conception… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-these-leon-trotsky-ideas-with/)

[Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/)

> [It is true that 'I seem to see a table' does not entail 'I see a table'; but 'I seem to feel a pain'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galen-strawson/it-is-true-that-i-seem-to-see-a-table-does-not-entail-i-see-a-table/)

[Galen Strawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galen-strawson/)

Browse all 1,325 Characteristics quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert M. Lindner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-and-crusades-that-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Characteristics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-and-crusades-that-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7d/robert-m-lindner-35487_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-an_2418588.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top.” — Robert M. Lindner",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert M. Lindner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-lindner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is characteristic of all movements...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-and-crusades-that-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-lindner/it-is-characteristic-of-all-movements-and-crusades-that-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
